their stalls of fruit and fish. Men gamble and
match fighting cocks. Jugglers, acrobats, and
midgets perform to the accompaniment of a
string-and-drum orchestra. Fishermen cast
their nets into waters teeming with scaly fish,
turtles, and crocodiles.
Men, camping in a forest, drop a pig into
a cooking pot. Their companions boil rice
562
and roast spitted fish. Above, from the tree
branches, frolicking monkeys, squirrels, and
birds gaze down upon them. A water buffalo
suckles her calf and at the same time scratches
her head with her hind hoof.
For hours I explored the Bayon's reliefs, en
joying the homely scenes and marveling at
how many are duplicated in Cambodia today.